Ethereal
by Iris Of The Open Skies
Summary: Emilia was in search of her father, and the Grand Line was no place for a non-pirate like her. She believed it was unfair that history had chosen her, and how important people were linked to her very existence; an existence she was currently trying to learn more about. With a great many people trying to kill her and her crazy companion Ace, she sets out to understand her own story.
1. Chapter 1

**It** came out of nowhere, and rather sharply-her will to live.

With not so much as a bag to carry, she had been kidnapped on the only road trip she had ever known, therefore, there was not much to hope for. She was currently on a ship heading east, she was certain thanks to the cruel winds that she was on the Grand Line with a pirate crew that had taken her as bait. She was currently crouching on the floor of the ship, her back pressed against the sides; her eyes trailed across one drunk pirate after the other. Her biggest battle at the moment was a sneeze, which threatened to let her captors remember that she was still with them. They seemed to have forgotten from all of last night's cheering. Pirates needed no reason to celebrate at all.

It was a moment after did she smell the gasoline in the air. Her nose wasn't particularly strong at catching odors, but this smell she could distinguish rather keenly. She turned to her left, towards where the ship was heading, and squinted to get a clearer picture of what was ahead. She could see nothing from an upcoming storm, the skies were as grey as her irises. She breathed in, and in came some wetness from a cold she had caught not too long ago, and stood up rather quietly. The smell of gasoline just got stronger and stronger by the minute, and when she turned her head to check if the pirates were aware, she was not really disappointed. They were passed out, randomly, across deck.

She took small steps toward the helm, which was left unattended. However, the moment she stood in front of the brown wheel, her eyes widened with fear. A battleship made its appearance, a sperm headed whale was imprinted as the figurehead. It was incredibly massive, and the ship she was on was in direct contact of this other ship. She would be an idiot if she didn't know whose ship it was, but it was far too late for her to do anything at the moment. She grabbed on to the helm, despite knowing that it could land her into serious trouble, and turned it to the side as much as she could-but, to no avail. The girl let out a gasp as the ship collided with the Moby Dick, Yonko Shirohige's main flagship.

This woke everyone on her ship. When the ship collided, all eyes fell on her as if she were to be blamed. It was at this moment, did her will to live return, and turning to face the hungover captain who steadily made his way to grab her hair, she reached forward and whispered,

"Implode."

The mast behind him made a whistling noise, stopping the short captain from moving anymore and turning toward the sound. And a moment later, the mast exploded-pieces of wood scattering everywhere with great speed. However, that was the least of her concern, it was an ability she had discovered not too long ago, and an ability she didn't want to welcome. Before she could take another step forward, the entire deck was light blue in color; it was a dazzling flame, so bright it almost burned her vision. However, with the lack of nourishment and rest, the girl could not be awake any longer than this.

Before she passed out however, there was one image that stuck to her head. A pineapple, making its way toward her with a rather concerned expression on its face.

* * *

"She was clearly a slave-oi," was the voice that woke her up.

She was still groggy, and it felt as if somebody had sewn her eyes shut. She reached forward, both her arms in front of her, it was then she realized that she was lying on her back on a rather hard surface. And suddenly, her eyes weren't sewn anymore.

She opened them with a great intensity. The first thing she saw was a man with brown hair, styled in a pompadour. Her breath stuck in her throat, but she made no attempt to scream. She brought her hands back to her sides and focused on regaining all her senses.

"So, then. Were you?" The brown haired male said, smiling at her.

She cocked her eyebrow. She had no clue what he was talking about. Or even if he was addressing her at all in the first place.

"Were you a slave on that little ship?" He asked again, offering her a hand.

She didn't take it, but sat up on her own. She frowned a little bit, not knowing what to call herself. She breathed out sharply before trying to recall what had happened.

Oh, that's right. She remembered. Shirohige's ship… Her eyes widened and she felt it. Her breath was stuck in her throat as she felt that immense power radiating behind her; it was strongly intimidating, and her mind went on to compare and think of a near future where she could easily be killed without a moment's hesitation. However, she knew something about Shirohige that many didn't, and keeping that in mind, the girl could calm down.

"What's your name?" Shirohige asked, his voice was coming from a distance behind her.

She turned around to take a glimpse of him before turning back. She was still feeling very tired from all the lack of nourishment; despite resting, she needed food to finally get back up on her feet. She let the crew know this when her stomach growled rather loudly, earning a chuckle from the brown haired man. She looked at him before blinking a couple of times, wondering where he was headed to now.

"My name is Emilia. I was on that ship as a prisoner, I think. I don't know what I was, really. They got to me one night when I was intoxicated. I plan on never drinking again." Her social anxiety made her mumble things unnecessary, but that didn't bother her at the moment.

"Face me, child, when you talk to me." Whitebeard advised, and the girl did as she was told.

He was a large man, that was for certain. He had a long face, ploughed because of the advanced age with many wrinkles around his eyes, and many scars running along his chest, and was very muscular. He wore a black bandanna around his head and adorned himself with a white captain's coat, which hung loosely from his broad shoulders and bore his Jolly Roger symbol. He was bare-chested, and wore light, loose pants tucked inside his large black boots, and a dark pirate sash around his waist. What surprised her, however, was the oxygen that he was being supplied. She blinked a couple of times to take this information in. As if he noticed her looking, Shirohige chuckled loudly before pointing to the oxygen tank.

"I'm not as young as I used to be, girl." Was all he said.

Emilia nodded. What more could she say? A moment later, a plate full of food was shoved in front of her, her eyes staring at the meal for a moment before nodding and politely thanking the brown haired man who gave it to her. She once looked at Shirohige before indirectly asking him if she could begin eating.

"Quite mannered. You're not a pirate, oi?" Came a voice which was slightly familiar.

She looked at this person and a pang of reminiscence hit her. She turned slightly red when she remembered having thought of him as a talking pineapple, but that thought was her own and she didn't need to share this information. She shook her head in response to what he was asking her and began eating, slowly. Just because she hadn't eaten in two days does not mean she cannot eat like a civilized person. Her mother had taught her rather well on how to handle extreme hunger gracefully.

Whitebeard, on the other hand, just watched her. There was an eerie resemblance with this girl, about someone he knew from the past. Someone he didn't like all too well. However, Whitebeard was smart and rational enough to not link one resemblance to someone he had just met, and act on it. However, it pricked him like a needle, constantly. Her eyes were what stood out most. He didn't want to impose on the girl and scare her off, she was polite and not a pirate, after all-caught in one of the strongest fleets that were roaming the oceans. For some reason, he felt not anger but pity for the girl, who seemed to be lost all on her own.

After finishing the meal, she placed the plate beside her and sat down straight to face Shirohige. Her eyes looked calm now, as if she had processed the entire situation she was in rather well, and looked at the Captain of the ship with an emotionless expression. He was surprised to see that she seemed fearless, but most people were easy to break if he wanted them to. If she tried to impose or attempt to intimidate, she was both stupid and done for.

"Shirohige-san," This alerted him. She knew who he was. "I am not afraid of you."

This caused him to erupt into laughter, his crewmates expect the one who served her food and the pineapple, followed in. Emilia sat there, cold and composed, waiting for the laughter to cease. No expression on her face while she waited.

"Is that so?" Whitebeard asked.

"Yes. I know I have no chance of survival if I do put up a fight here. I'm outnumbered and I won't last a minute against such strong men. However, I won't go down without giving you a fight." She stated, stil calm.

Shirohige knew that most men who threaten him were crazy. There seemed to be no sign of crazy linked to this girl, and that was what stirred in some amount of curiosity within him. His first mate, Marco, noticed this and kept mum about the same. Emilia, a random pick up slave girl from a puny ship, seemed to make Shirohige, one of the Yonko roaming the seas, think about what she had to say. If there was strength in her that made this possible, Marco doubted, however, Marco knew that there was something more.

What was more was the resemblance that seemed to bother Shirohige quite a bit. He narrowed his eyes, a look that could have scared her if she was someone who can be scared, but she didn't budge.

"Could it be… that you are related to-"

"I would not like to talk of any lineage here, Shirohige-san. I'm no pirate. I'm simply looking to get to the end of the Grand Line. You see, my business is not yours. I somehow happened to be washed on to this ship and I apologize for the trouble that I might have caused. I am deeply indebted to you for helping me when I could have sunk and died. Drop me off at the nearest island and I will be on my way, and will never cross paths with you again." She made it sound like a promise.

This girl can be seventeen or eighteen years old, not more, Shirohige thought, before considering what she had said. But, before he could say anything, Marco decided to step in.

"What makes you think you can order us around, oi?" He was frowning, but Shirohige knew he simply wanted to get more words out of Emilia's mouth.

Emilia didn't budge. She blinked once before sticking her gaze onto Marco.

"I've heard that Shirohige-san is quite the reasonable man. He won't kill someone who has nothing to offer. After all, he doesn't consider loot his treasure. Isn't that so?" Emilia turned to look at the large Captain before he chuckled.

"The next island is in two hours. You can get off there. Unless you're willing to stay."

This surprised the crew a great deal, but they didn't show it. It surprised Emilia as well, and her eyes widened. She sat up before bowing down at Whitebeard, earning a gasp from the brown haired male who was standing beside her.

"I'm not a pirate. And I want to look for the answers to my questions on my own. Despite you knowing them, Shirohige-san. I don't want the easy way out." Emilia sounded earnest, at least he could give her that.

* * *

 **It** was a moment later did everyone begin minding their own business on the ship. Emilia stood up, focusing on the blood now suddenly rushing to her legs, having had enough of conversation for the day. She walked to the side of the ship and stared out into the ocean. She had always found the ocean quite fascinating, but was never brave enough to set sail. Ever since what had happened, and having been forced, she was thankful for the sudden turn of events; however, if she could take back everything that had occurred, she would.

It was during moments of silence did the past intend to haunt her. It was somewhere close to being around time time of dusk, and in two hours when she reaches the island, it'd be dark. Her head was heavy and she felt slightly hungry again, but was too embarrassed to ask. She was grateful that no one was coming and talking to her, because her anxiety would only make her say things she didn't want to reveal, and make a fool out of herself. She wasn't always this way, she believed. She remembered a time when she was able to make conversation and smile at people she didn't know. She didn't have to turn a blind eye to anyone, because back then, she didn't believe everyone she met had the potential to kill her. Now, she was forced to doubt and deceive, the latter she doesn't like doing as much. The waves she was staring at swallowed her whole, her mind was recalling the torment that she was still trying to run from.  
But, how can you run from your own mind? And how far can you go?

"A penny for your thoughts, Miss Emilia?" Came a familiar voice, it was the brown haired male who had given her food.

Her first instinct was to smile but she ended up staring at him for too long, so she looked away. He chuckled a bit before standing aside her, sharing her view. Emilia was suddenly very aware of his presence, but there was nothing she could do. She wanted to observe his movements and intend not to fool herself, but even that took courage that she didn't currently have.

"Well, won't lie to you. We're all curious about you. Not that we care, but people are curious, you know? We don't know where you came from and from the entire scene back there, you not being scared of pops shows us all that you've got potential," He said, smiling. "Not to mention, you turned down an offer at being one of us."

"I don't intend to become a pirate just yet." Emilia said, swiping some of her black locks behind her ear.

It was when she made this small movement did the brown haired man notice her features. She was not too tall, but couldn't be considered short. She wasn't frail, she had some flesh around her hands and legs, but seemed like she had lost weight from sudden exercise. Her hair reached the back of her neck and was dark black in color, with no tangles here or there. It was straight and well behaved for a girl who was kidnapped. Her eyes resembled the dark clouds, grey from a distance and from up close, traces of silver could be found lining the iris. She had a sharp nose, and visibly sharp features-if she were groomed well enough, taking away all the scratches and dirt on her face, she could pass off as a nice waitress somewhere along the shorelines. This directed his attention to her attire. She wore a black top that reached her hips, showing skin slightly at the tugging of her brown shorts. She adorned black boots which covered her ankles, and for someone who was on the seas, she was dressed rather simple.

The brown haired man, Thatch, smiled at this. She had a story, that much was certain, something Shirohige and herself shared; if there was something their pops knew, then he would slowly find out as well. There were no secrets on board. But, that didn't have to happen in front of her. Perhaps, he wondered, if she knew this as well.

"If you don't mind me," Emilia said, almost in a whisper. "I'm a little hungry again. Forgive me, I haven't had any food in two days until you gave me that plate of-"

Thatch laughed heartily before patting the girl's back, causing her eyes to widen with embarrassment. Thatch smiled warmly at her, quite unlike a pirate, before leading her to the front of the deck. No one else was bothered to have noticed this exchange. She was relatively less embarrassed now. Once she was given more food, Thatch began observing her again. He left her to her thoughts and headed to Whitebeard, who seemed to be in a conversation with Marco about the very thing that he intended to talk to them about.

"So, what's her deal?" Thatch asked, grinning.

"She's after someone. Let her be. Perhaps, we'll cross paths again someday," Shirohige said, not even looking at her.

Thatch and Marco were surprised.

"Having her here on my ship makes me a little mad at the reason behind why she's here in the first place. But, I can't blame her for anything that happened in the past. She's just as lost as anyone else. Just as human." His words were not answering either of their questions, except one. The question that wondered if he would share information with them.

The answer was no.

* * *

 **T** hey reached the island a little short of two hours. The Moby Dick was quite fast indeed, and once they reached the shore, Thatch nodded at Whitebeard before heading over to Emilia, who seemed not very eager to depart. Not that she had grown to like the Whitebeard pirates, but more because she seemed lazy. Emilia blinked at Thatch before bowing in thanks for him, which he received awkwardly, earning a smirk from both Marco and Whitebeard. Thatch chuckled nervously before handing her a piece of paper.

"A Vivre card?" She asked, reaching out to take it from Thatch's grasp.

He nodded before muttering, "Maybe you'll take us up on that offer someday. When you've found what you're looking for and if you think you can share your story with us, come say hello. We don't think of you as an enemy, just yet." Thatch joked.

"Thanks." Was all Emilia said before looking at Whitebeard.

She was supposed to feel something. This man was someone remarkable, with regard to her past, but there was no direct link between them. He knew it, and so did she. She nodded once, before understanding that it wasn't enough. The crew then witnessed the first frown on Emilia's face that evening. She walked closer to where Whitebeard was, not alerting anyone else on this sudden movement, and bowed down with deep respect.

"I'm thankful that you don't think of me as an enemy. Thank you. I won't forget this. I'm indebted to you, Shirohige-san. Farewell." She said, before offering a half-smile and taking off.

She was sure, right then, that she would never see them again. But, the vivre card gave her a sense of hope. Right then, a legendary exchange had occured. Just, no one but herself and Whitebeard knew about it. She smiled to herself a little bit before getting off the Moby Dick.

 _He certainly is a man of principle_ , Emilia thought as she walked through the port. _He hates my father and yet, showed such kindness to me. One of the only people who know my past who've treated me as a separate individual._ Emilia walked past the port with nothing but gratitude in her mind. From the past, the one thing that had stopped her from working on anything, or revealing her own name-her desire to be a pirate, everything had been linked to this piece of history that Emilia was forced to hide about herself. What she was not ashamed of, she was forced to look down upon. At a young age, she had understood what it meant to be tainted by history, and all her life, somehow, Emilia had been living with constant fear of being discovered and discriminated for this fact; therefore, young Emilia had always been living in hiding.

However, this time, being Silvers Rayleigh's daughter was something she carried rather casually if not proudly, and walked by with no such fear. It was a funny thing, this will to live, it seemed to pierce her most when she was running away from it.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Hello, readers! I know, it's been a while since I've posted anything. I recently binged on One Piece and rediscovered my love for Ace and I felt the need to write this story again. The previous one had far too many mistakes and the lead was someone I could no longer relate to. I hope this story turns out better, and I have a feeling that it will. I hope you all enjoyed this. Stay tuned for more updates. Thank you! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**T** here were ten men approaching her. How they had gotten to know she was in that town was beyond her, but now that she was found, she had to leave. She didn't know where her father was-some village's name flooded in the back of her memory, her mother had long told this to her before being taken away. It was a strange irony that what she desired most to be was a pirate, and it was pirates who had taken away the only special thing in her entire life. These men chasing her did not know of her history, but simply because she had escaped from a town that she used to call home. It wasn't a special story, and it was something that was pretty common in those times-a village was raided by a pirate crew and was taken over. Women were used as sex slaves and children were turned to slaves and sold. Her mother had somehow managed to prevent her from being sold to some landlord, but had faced the brutal alternative instead.

Her mother was a strong woman, known to be fierce in the face of battle. Anger had consumed her when she believed she could handle no more, being married to a pirate herself, she was forced to succumb to the torture that these puny pirates had inflicted upon this village. She would tell Emilia stories of her father, made her believe that being a pirate was more than just looting and that there were pirates out there who had dignity and courage and would never lay a finger on women and children. _These men who haunt us Emilia, are no men at all, let alone pirates_ , she would say. Your father is amongst the bravest men I have ever met, along with Roger, the King of the Pirates. Emilia thought about everything her mother had said about her father, all of those adventures which were merely stories to her as well since she was never a part of any of them. She could always sense a prolonging thought of loneliness in her mother's narratives about her father's life, that she missed him and craved for a normal life with him which he had failed to provide for her. However, what confused Emilia the most was how her mother did not mind any of it. There were many things Emilia wanted to ask her mother before running away, and one of those many questions was why she never went looking for Rayleigh. Her mother had stated that he was alive quite a number of times, yet, never stepped out to look for him.

Was it because of her? Because she was born and that travelling with a baby was a lot more difficult than doing it alone?

It had been close to seven years since she had escaped that disastrous town and seven years since she had last seen her mother. The man who raided her village intended to destroy the town when her mother put up a fight-despite not knowing how to fight or even stand her ground. She was just courageous, not strong. It was when tables turned did she even know what fear meant.

 _The skies reflected red from the fires which had spread through the town. Emilia could see corpses lying on the ground like dead lilies, and having run back to find her entire town in shambles destroyed her ability to react at the moment. She was picking flowers for her mother, who had been sick, and despite the pirates being there, Emilia was happy knowing that her mother was with her. It was when there was a staunch smell of gasoline in the air did she even turn and look back._

 _There was fire and then she ran. She ran toward what had once been her house and found it in shambles, people and children dead and gone. She didn't scream at first, but a moment later, a figure came out of what used to be her home. It was her mother, burning on one side of her torso, her face almost disfigured with the fire._

" _Run, Emilia! Run away from here!" It didn't look like her mother, but it did sound like her._

 _Emilia gasped, before tears filled her eyes. She wanted to scream after her mother, but she knew she couldn't take a step further. The redness behind that had engulfed her entire village stopped her from stepping forward, even if that's what she wanted to do most._

" _What are you doing?! Run away from here! Don't look back, please! Go! Live!"_

 _A second later, the voice stopped. The entire house collapsed on her burning mother, and that was the end of that. Emilia cried out in vain now, and ran toward her mother only to be picked up and thrown aside. She almost raged back this time, one of the only times Emilia was ever angered, to see a man with black shades, his dark hair tied in a ponytail behind him. He was frowning and he seemed to be holding something._

" _Get out of here, Emilia-chan, listen to your mother." He said, earning a surprised expression from the girl._

" _G-Gaban-san?" It had been years since she had last seen him, one of her father's crewmates from long ago._

" _Take this," He handed Emilia a letter with an insignia on it, "And go away from here. I can't save your mother now, and I can't get away from this. But, alone, you can go far. Don't look back and go by what your mother told you. Listen," Gaban seemed furious but he was helpless and he understood that. "One day, you'll find meaning to everything that you've gone through. Every bad memory, every bit of torture that you've faced, will be nullified one day. You'll meet people who will stick. Do you understand?"_

 _Emilia didn't want to listen to him, but nodded either way. She took the letter and skedaddled out of there, not looking back, but thinking of that night every night of her life_.

 _Gaban-san died to protect me. Why now? Why after all these years?_ Emilia did not understand this sudden shock that came her way, however, it must have been one sighting. Someone must have seen her, somewhere. _Could it be Whitebeard?_ She struck that thought off her mind the minute it came. It must have been something else. Nevertheless, her stay at the town was instantly cut short now that she had been found. There was a lot more history connected to her, but right now, she merely focused on running. She was currently hiding behind a building which led to another alleyway. Taking a deep breath, Emilia dashed toward the alley and looked around as fast as she could. It was dark out, and hiding was relatively easy for her, but she knew she had to hide somewhere they would not believe she would be found at.

The entire town was wide awake, like some sort of party was taking place. Since it was a port town, hordes of pirate ships were stacked at the port. Her best option would be to hide in one of those ships till they lost her. She knew what their jolly roger looked like, and she knew which ship she had to choose. _Choose a ship with an unknown jolly roger_ , she thought as she headed to the port, keeping a keen lookout for any follower. Once she was at the port, she noticed a line of ships docked by, and she started to choose. Definitely not one of the first few ships, but the last. She blinked a couple of times before running to the far end, and looking out for an unfamiliar jolly roger. When her eyes fell on one, she nodded before quickly hopping on to the ship and searching for their cargo. She was certain she had never seen this jolly roger before, and judging by the look of the ship, it must belong to some rookie.

 _I've never seen a grinning skull and crossbones wearing a funny hat with smileys on it_ , she thought before calming herself down. This was not healthy for her anxiety, she shut her eyes and listened if any movement was heard outside. Her observation was impeccable, she knew she was strong; having been taught no so basic survival skills by someone she once held very dear to her. She suddenly felt as if she were drowning, and this was another one of those episodes she had. It always happened when thoughts that are unwelcome raid her mind. When they did, she had no control over her mind and she would sink, feeling lost and scared and alone.

* * *

"What the heck-"

She gasped before suddenly seeing light. A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her up, and it was a moment later did she see a bright orange.

"Who are you?" The voice belonged to a man, and it was when this voice sounded did Emilia's eyes dart downward from the orange hat to the face of the man.

He was handsome, she would give him that. He looked confused at her presence there, he must be the captain of the ship she was on. She didn't remember falling asleep, and maybe she had after that episode. He was wearing a yellow button down shirt which he hadn't bothered buttoning up and the prominent hat that was on his head after which the jolly roger was designed.

"Hello, whether you know it or not, you've saved my life." Emilia said, offering him no smile.

Now that she was standing, the man let her go. He was frowning now, clearly surprised by this unwelcome guest. There were people with him, crewmates, she had deduced, but she paid them no heed. She could see that they were in the middle of the ocean now, which meant that she was not caught and that she was safe. She released a sigh and calmed down entirely when her mind thought of this.

"Still doesn't answer my question, lassie. Are you a thief?" He questioned her.

He looks familiar somehow, she thought before brushing that thought aside. She shook her head before getting out of the cargo box she was in. The man in front of her didn't budge, he clearly demanded an explanation, but was too polite to actually demand it like a regular pirate would. She liked that, but would never admit it.

"I'm not a thief, my name is Emilia. I was running from some goons who were chasing me, and I happened to hide in your ship for the time being. I must have fallen asleep and woken up rather late. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience." She said, looking straight at the man in front of her.

He blinked, before humming once and looking deep in thought. He actually didn't mind her being there, it had been close to five months since he set sail, strange occurrences were embraced. He grinned a moment later and patted her back, a gesture that she didn't particularly like, and pulled her aside. He wanted to introduce her.

"Lads! This is Emilia, she will be travelling with us from now-"

"No, I won't. I'm not a pirate. You can drop me off at the next-"

There were loud cheers that erupted after what their captain said, and Emilia's eyes widened. She blinked a couple of times before turning to the man with the orange hat and trying to get his attention. But, he was too happy to even realize that this was not what she wanted. Is he an idiot? She thought before grabbing his arm and turning him around on his heel. This move surprised him, but he didn't glare at her, instead he smirked.

"I know I'm irresistible, but this is rather quick-"

Her face reddened with this statement he made, but ignored it.

"I'm not joining your crew." She said firmly.

"Aw, why not? Not good enough for you?" He flirted, which caused her cheeks to redden more.

"I'm not a pirate."

"Don't need no qualification to be one. You can start now." He said.

"I don't even know you guys-"

"We're the Spade Pirates, lassie! That man over there's our captain, Portgas D Ace!" Said a rather large looking man, who was magically holding a mug of beer.

"Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, lassie." Ace said, kissing the back of Emilia's hand.

"I'm not a pirate. I don't intend to be one. Please drop me off at the next island, thank you." Emilia stated firmly, and the rest of them laughed.

She didn't understand what was so funny. She had declined Whitebeard's offer of joining his crew. These punks were nothing compared to that. There was no way she was joining any crew before finding her father. The Spade Pirates were still laughing, and all the attention was right at her. She blushed when she realized this and glared at Ace.

"What's so funny?" She asked, albeit politely.

"You are. We're not heading to any island. We're at that part of the Grand Line where there aren't any islands for over ten days. That's why we stocked up at the previous town. You've gotten in at the wrong time, lassie." Ace said, smirking.

This was not going in accordance to plan. However, when she thought about it, it might. She was anyway travelling to the end of the Grand Line, and these guys were pirates. Using their ship as mere transport for now, she can get a step closer in finding her father. They didn't need to know anything. She nodded once before turning to look at Ace.

"I won't join your crew, but I can travel with you to the next island. You see," these guys were rookies. _There is no way he'd know or be curious about why I'm looking for him_. "I'm looking for a man. I don't know where he is, but if you can help me find him, I'll be indebted to you for life."

Ace grinned before saying, "Oh, yeah? Who's this man?"

"I don't know if you've heard of him. Back in his time, he used to be famous, but right now, there are people who don't even know if he's-"

"What's his name, lassie?" Ace urged, still grinning.

"Silvers Rayleigh."

She noticed how quickly the grin vanished from his face. She was scared for a moment, wondering if he knew who it was, but even if he did, out of all the legends that went around about the first mate of the Rogers Pirates, there was no way he could guess that she was his daughter. Ace turned and looked at her, this time with a keener and fierce expression, almost demanding a reason as to why she wanted to find him. She hadn't thought of the reason why and what to tell him, but she knew she had to make it up on spot.

"Well, I'd like to record history from his point of view. You see, my dream is to be a record keeper one day. I don't quite like the World Government, and hearing their angle is boring indeed. So I wanted to-"

"How do you know he's alive? No one knows." Ace said, rather sternly.

 _Why was he being so adamant anyway?_

"Well, um…" Ace was still waiting. "I haven't heard that he died so…"

"A wild goose chase." Ace muttered, glaring at the girl.

"A wild goose chase." She stated, nodding.

"That's good enough for me!" He said a moment later, suddenly the expression on his face changed, and he turned to his crew, "She has a dream like all of us. Let's see if we can help her out!"

For some reason, Emilia believed that Ace didn't really want to help her. His enthusiasm suddenly faded, it seemed like he was merely faking it. She wondered why.

* * *

 **T** hat night, Emilia stayed back on deck as she stared into the ocean. She liked how calm the waves were during the night, almost as if there was nothing left to worry about. She felt a presence approach her, and she turned to the side to spot Ace there. He looked glum, almost, like there was a face he was wearing in front of his comrades and a face he wore in front of her. For some reason, this face seemed more real to her than the latter. He approached her slowly and stood by her, looking at her while she stared back at him. He was clearly taller than her, and now, he wore no shirt at all.

"Can you fight?" He asked.

A rather strange question to ask her in the middle of the night.

"I can get by." She replied.

"Have you eaten a devil fruit?" He asked, curiously.

"No." She lied.

"Why do you really want to find Rayleigh?" Ace asked this time.

"That was the question you've been meaning to ask me ever since I said his name." Emilia said, smiling at him now.

Ace didn't return the smile. He merely waited.

"You don't really need to know. I'm also curious as to why that name does something to you, but I won't ask." She said.

"You're right. I don't really need to know. Because I can't tell you things, either." Ace said, now understanding her point.

She nodded, glad that she had put that across successfully. They were standing beside one another, staring into the ocean now, in complete silence. There was something about this that she liked very much. It seemed peaceful, like the sea they were on, and it was strange for the Grand Line to be this way.

"You don't have to help me look for him. Dropping me off at the-"

"Next island will be enough. Yes. I got that." Ace said, scratching the back of his head.

Emilia smiled. "You weren't surprised, were you?"

Ace blinked at her question.

"When you saw me in the cargo cart."

"Not really," Ace said, chuckling. "You see, I have a crazy brother who'd do something very similar to that. Unlike you, he wouldn't even apologize."

"That's something." Emilia said, grinning back.

"Yeah, he also eats a lot. It's monstrous." Ace said, hiding the fact that he too, eats a lot.

"I eat a lot too. Food is nice." Emilia said, looking into the ocean again.

"It is, isn't it?" Ace said, his voice almost a whisper.

It was quiet again. Emilia thought of something to talk about, but for that moment, she couldn't think. The boy beside her radiated warmth, it was unnatural. It was cold because of the ocean weather, but he seemed like a heater. She turned to his arm, and slowly reached forward to touch it. Ace flinched, but didn't move away, and let her touch his arm.

"You're burning!" She said, looking up at him.

Ace was looking straight at her eyes now.

"That's because," he reached forward and his hand suddenly turned into fire. Emilia's eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat. "I am fire."

Moments from her past hit her without warning and the girl stepped back, not intending to show Ace that she was scared, but her body seemed to move without heed. Ace stopped and turned to look at her, wondering if he had scared her, and her eyes seemed to confirm his suspicions.

"I'm so sorry, Emilia, I-"

She stopped short. Shutting her eyes forcefully, before trying to calm down.

Portgas D Ace.

Portgas D Ace?

 _Portgas._

"I'm not scared, I'm sorry. It's just," Emilia looked back at him and smiled weakly. "You surprised me, is all."

Ace calmed down and smiled back.

"Glad to know you don't think I'm a monster." Ace said, trying to hide bitterness in his tone.

It didn't go unnoticed. Emilia touched his arm again and smiled.

"You might come off as an idiot," Ace blinked. "Definitely not a monster."

He turned away from her with a large streak of a blush on his cheeks.


	3. Chapter 3

**It** wasn't the grandest of ideas to let pirates take over the food supply. _A week long food supply with those fools would only last three days tops,_ Emilia thought, frowning in hunger. It was a curse to feel as hungry as she did, for she knew she ate a lot more as compared to normal people around her. Of course, her appetite demanded she become a pirate since all pirates ate somewhat more than the rest of the ordinary population. On a normal occasion, Emilia would have eaten a lot as well, however, since she barely knew these pirates, she kept her eating at bay. However, Ace remembered a certain fact she had shared about herself the other night and kept wondering only to himself.

"Why, Emilia-chan, aren't you hungry?" Asked Joel, one of the larger looking males in Ace's crew.

Smiling softly, the black haired girl shook her head.

"Not all that hungry, really. I can hold my hunger pretty well." She stated, earning the crew's attention.

"That's a very sad thing to hear, Emilia-chan." Said another crewmate whose name she didn't know.

"Why so?"

"Well, no one should be able to hold their hunger. Eating is a sign of life!" Joel said, laughing.

Emilia liked that concept. However, she also liked the fact that they didn't know why she could hold her hunger. Days of being hungry and not having even a little food to eat helped her depend on her body's abilities a lot more than the rest of the normal population. Nevertheless, she agreed with them. Holding hunger is a sad thing to do.

"Say, tell us a story about yourself, Emilia-chan." Requested another crewmate.

This caught her off guard. There was no story she was willing to share. However, before she could voice her disinterest, the crewmates gathered around her, prepared to listen. Here were a bunch of folks, who could easily kill her yet chose to be nice to her and help her out, without even knowing her story or who she is. A bunch of folks who were also very hungry and chose her to entertain them for a bit because they liked giving her the attention. She felt flattered, but she honestly didn't know what to say.

"Too secretive to share, Emilia-chan?" Ace asked, capturing the girl's attention.

"Actually, yes... " She looked at the crewmates and sighed. "I could tell you of the first time I met a marine officer."

There was a loud buzz, and a few curse words thrown around. Ace was interested himself, and he half expected fate to make that marine his grandfather, Garp. But, he knew things didn't work like that. It can't be that much of a coincidence, he thought before waiting for her to continue.

"Well, my mother wasn't a pirate. We're just normal folk I guess. And a long time ago, our village was famous for its fried chicken. Strangely, a lot of people had poultry farms in town and we just had a lot of chicken to spare. My mama could make a rather swell bucket of fried chicken, if I do say so myself," Emilia smiled when she remembered. "Anyway, that alerted a lot of pirates to show up at our port and not all of them wanted to loot so they were okay. My mother had a small shack where she offered them drinks and some food, the regular, really. And there was apparently this one pirate who turned up, who was actually someone very notorious, I guess. I didn't like him very much either. Though I was just a child." Emilia said, before someone interrupted.

"Do you remember his name?" Joel asked, curious.

Emilia shook her head, "He wasn't really all that famous, if I come to think of it. The marines caught people they could get their hands on. If he was really that famous, I don't think he would have gotten caught at all," The crew laughed. "Anyway, this guy was bragging about how he entered the Grand Line and everything and how much loot he had and how he had outsmarted some military official who, I quote, are idiotic pigs who can't make their own decisions. I dislike that idea, because the marine I met was quite reasonable and well-mannered."

"We still don't like them anyway." Said another crewmate. Emilia nodded.

"So while he was bragging, magically the marine officer showed up with his wanted poster. And that was it for him," The crew waited. For some reason, they knew the story wasn't over yet. "It was when I discovered later that even though the marine had caught the pirate, he was an idiot too."

The crew broke out laughing. Emilia smiled when she remembered the memory.

It was a rather hot summer day, she was around eight years old at the time. It was the first time anyone had ever proven themselves as being idiotic in her mind, and this memory wouldn't erase itself for another reason entirely. Her mother was rather patient when it came to men hitting on her, pirates would stop by then and again, therefore, she was used to the attention she got. However, it was the first time a marine did it.

"A Marine hit on your mom?" Ace asked, laughing.

Emilia nodded. "Not just hit on, he even asked her to marry him. He then went on to look at me and held my hands in his and told me he'd make the greatest dad ever."

The crew went mad after hearing this. Emilia smiled at their reaction, however, the next part of the memory deeply saddened her. She had always believed her mother loved her father a lot more than her father did, and that was something she never shared with her mother either. She never had the heart to state this out in the open, even though she had never met her father. The way her mother spoke of her father showcased some sort of devotion, it was strange, as a matter of fact. When she found Rayleigh, and this was one of the reasons why, she wanted to ask him if he ever loved her at all. And if he did, she would ask him why he never returned.

"My mother obviously didn't like what happened, so she told him to get out. Marine or not." Emilia said, smiling widely.

Ace noticed it. The smile took a second longer than usual, and there was indeed something Emilia was hiding from the rest. Something she didn't want to share.

" _Your father is Silvers Rayleigh. He will always be your father and no one else will come close."_

Emilia blinked before intending to change the topic. She patted her stomach and pretended to be hungry, earning the crew's sympathy. Ace wanted to ask her a great many questions, but he knew he would simply be overstepping bounds if he did so.

It was close to becoming dark and she was told that they would reach an island early in the morning the next day. She couldn't wait to reach solid ground and eat some hot food, whatever it might be, though she wondered what town they would be getting down on. She remembered the letter that Gaban-san had given her, the one that was from her mother, showcasing the location of another person who might perhaps know where Rayleigh was. She was supposed to head to an island in Jaya, which was where they were currently headed, and she knew she would have to make up a reason and stray from the Spade Pirates for a while. _I'll just tell them I want to do some exploring,_ she thought, hoping it would be a credible enough excuse. She sighed before deciding to wing it.

"You seem too lost in thought, Emilia-chan," Ace said, smirking at the girl. "Care if I join you?"

Blushing, the girl smiled a bit before replying, "Is this going to be our thing now? Talking at night when the crew is asleep?"

"They're only asleep because they're too hungry to stay awake." Ace said, chuckling.

"Well, you did eat up all the ration for ten days." Emilia said, teasingly.

"There was more to that story that you didn't share." Ace pointed out.

"I don't like how you know these things. But, just because you do doesn't entitle you to know what I'm hiding." Emilia said, bluntly.

She was surprised, but she held the response within her. She began to think of what could go wrong if she did in fact tell him that she was related to Rayleigh and that she intended on finding him because she needed answers. _It's because he's a stranger_ , she thought before going against it. Ace watched her contemplate, leaving her to her thoughts.

"We'll be reaching and docking at South Grave. There's a very tiny town close to Mock Town. It's a pirate hub." Ace said, looking at the ocean.

"I see." Came her reply.

She liked talking to Ace, and she hated having to lie to him. When she thought of it carefully, she knew that she was simply using his crew and his kindness in accomplishing something incredibly selfish. When this thought struck her head, it made her feel miserable, almost unexplainable as to why, but there was just something about Portgas D Ace that made him seem kind. And also…

" _Did anyone else in Papa's crew also have children, Mama?" A young Emilia asked her mother._

" _Why, your father's captain should have a son your age. He had a lover named Portgas D Rouge. I'd met her once, in fact. Lovely woman, too stubborn for her own good, though." Her mother said, laughing._

It was unfair as to how she knew his secret and he didn't know hers. But she didn't give it much thought. She didn't know if Ace even knew he was the Pirate King's son. If he did, he must be blaring it to everyone. If he wasn't doing that, then there was something else he was hiding. Something else that he wasn't telling her. She didn't realize she was staring at him until Ace snapped his fingers at her face. Her eyes widened and she immediately looked away, red faced. Ace chuckled before leaning in and smiling, looking at her embarrassed expression.

"You're really cute, Emilia-chan. It'd be a shame if you went away in the next island without telling us." Ace's breath was hot against her cheeks, and her eyes were glued away from his form.

With that, the male turned on his heel and walked off, leaving her to her thoughts.

* * *

She really did want to get away without telling Ace and the others. There was still three days left for the next island, and judging from the smell of the air, Emilia could sense a storm approaching. Storms always gave her a bad time; her anxiety would peak off the charts and she could not stay calm during even the smallest of storms. She shut her eyes and mumbled a quiet array of nonsensical words, squeezing her hands tight against her knees. She was currently sitting beside the mast of the ship, away from the crew who were doing God knows what. Joel caught sight of Emilia sitting by herself and approached her, only to stop himself from getting anywhere closer.

He ushered to Ace, his captain, and signed for him to come to the panicking girl. Ace blinked a couple of times before heading over to her. He crouched down beside her and let out a breath. He had never seen anyone like this before; however, he remembered a long lost friend, who died on a ship, doing something somewhat similar.

"Emilia-chan, you alright there?"

No response. She continued uttering the random words that Ace thought was in a particular order. He leaned forward and listened, wanting to identify a couple of those words.

"Brick...Sea...Irony...Game...Gems...Port...Fried...Feet...Key…"

Ace wasn't worried, but he waited. Emilia's eyes opened a second later. It was at this time, she knew, that Ace was seeing her at her most vulnerable.

"They're not in any order, if you're wondering." Her voice was a whisper. "It helps me calm down when a storm approaches."

Ace gulped. He didn't know what to say.

"I told you I'm not a pirate." Emilia laughed, darkly.

Ace stood up a second later, abruptly, surprising not just Emilia but his entire crew.

"Meat!"

The crew was confused. Emilia stared at Ace, wondering what the black haired male was doing. Ace looked determined and intended on carrying out whatever he was doing. He looked at Emilia once more and took a deep breath.

"Orange." He said.

She understood now. She stood up slowly, but didn't say anything.

"Okay so if it's random words then, heaven!" Joel said, catching the drift.

"Cockatoo!"

"Bags!"

"Shorts!"

"Beer!"

"Water!"

There was laughter now. Emilia gulped and smiled a bit, fighting back the rest of it. Ace was laughing with his crew, licking his lips and stamping his foot. She blinked her tears away, smelling the storm approaching. It didn't matter right then. No matter how cold the storm could get, she knew Ace's flames would keep his crew warm.

The storm was massive. It lasted several hours, and had managed to get the entire crew worry about something apart from their hunger. Emilia was helping a bunch of men keep the masts up, the winds were threatening to blow them away in the opposite direction. After a long and tiring battle against Mother Nature, Emilia knew that the crew could rest now till they got to the next port. When the thought struck her, her stomach flipped uncharacteristically. She pressed her lips together and looked at Ace, almost fast asleep while standing. He had managed to make her feel welcome and also in control during moments of anxiousness. She didn't know if she was doing the right thing, however, she knew she couldn't stay there any longer. She sighed before finding reasons to motivate her to leave, even though that number was quite low.

That night, in another one of their weird routines, Ace begged Emilia not to leave.

"It's not that I've got a crush on you or anything…" Ace said, scratching the back of his head. "It's just that you fit in here with the rest of us. We're all misfits. We're all trying to find something out there, just as you are." Ace said, earnestly.

Emilia wasn't sure. "I'm flattered, really. Don't take this the wrong way, but you and your crew almost made me forget what I was after." Ace blinked and waited, knowing she would continue. "It's as if… See, what I'm chasing after here—"

"Rayleigh." Ace interjected.

Emilia nodded. "Rayleigh. It's something that causes me a great amount of stress. It doesn't let me sleep and it doesn't let me relax. It puts me on edge more than half the time I think about it and I almost always keep thinking of it. Like you've already discovered, it's more than just for record keeping."

"Then why go through so much trouble anyway?" Ace asked, already knowing the answer.

"The truth is always going to kick us in the butt for wanting to know it, Ace. I can't keep running away from it. I've lost a lot because I have and I no longer intend on running." Emilia put her hand on Ace's arm and squeezed lightly.

"Thanks for everything, fire fist. I'll never forget you." Emilia's voice was a whisper.

"You don't get to say that before leaving." Ace's voice wavered, but his eyes were dry.

"What a pity." Emilia laughed.

A day later, the Spades' Pirates reached the next port. Emilia's goodbye was short and brief. Ace didn't even come out to say it himself. Emilia thanked the crew, and rushed before she saw Ace, even by accident. For the first time, she was scared that the fire fist might make her stay instead of run.


End file.
